Something Different
by Yusagi
Summary: Rose and the Metacrisis Doctor stumble across a multiversal rift. They make the Doctor surprisingly uncomfortable. Rose and the Metacrisis Doctor aren't particularly amused.


Disclaimer: blah blah not mine

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He kept staring at them.

For awhile she was flattered, then she was understanding. For a short time it became unnerving. Now she's just annoyed by those constant furtive glances between her and the Doctor. So there was a mix up between realities that dropped she and the Doctor into a future TARDIS with his next incarnation. It's not the first time they've run into inter-reality hiccups, nor was it their fault (that fault would rest with the person who-yes he was staring _again_). She knew it had to be surprising to see her face again, and she'd like to think it's a pleasant surprise. Obviously it had to be...different to see the face he'd come from, too. She wouldn't deny it was an awkward situation, and he had every right to stare and feel uncomfortable (though she'd like to think they were welcome enough for it not to be _too_ uncomfortable).

All of that would be perfectly fine if he were staring at _them_. Somewhat. After a half-hour it would start wearing on her nerves anyway. But no, he wasn't uncomfortable they were in the TARDIS: he kept looking between her and the Doctor (she's going to let them come up with handy nicknames to differentiate between each other on their own) and her stomach.

She wasn't sure if he was trying to be subtle or not, but...it wasn't. He hadn't said anything yet, and she pointedly hadn't explained herself in response. At first she'd been a bit bashful and then awkward. Now it's just...silly. Honestly, if he did another round she'd snap, she really would. The Doctor might actually slap him, if she was reading his expression right. He'd picked up an unfortunate penchant for doing that to people who annoyed him: although amusing, slapping his boss and then later his functional land lord did them absolutely no good. The latter just got him a slap from her mother right after. He'd been working on impulse control since then, but this _had_ to be taxing him.

She wasn't sure if he sensed the imminent danger, or if he just couldn't bear the silence any longer, but finally the Doctor drew in a breath and spun toward them properly. He spun often, this one. She hadn't decided what she thought about that yet. "You didn't happen to see a Roman while you were out, did you?"

She blinked. "...What?"

"A Roman. Tall...armored...has a..." He gestured vaguely at his nose and trailed off. "Right. Well, River _did_ say something about a surprise Father's Day." For just a moment his gaze flickered over at the Doctor, before he spun back toward the console, toying with a few new additions to it that she hadn't the faintest idea the function of. "Anyway! There's three of us here, I think we can handle _one_ universe-changing crisis without the Ponds." He paused a moment, before adding: "As long as we don't tell them."

She glanced at her Doctor, and he gave an infinitesimal shrug, before getting up from his seat and wandering over to the console as well. She took that as a sign that whatever scans the Doctor was doing were about to be finished, and so she wandered up to flank the Doctor's other side. From there she could actually see the annoyance flicker across her Doctor's face when the older one did his worried glance.

Fortunately, no slapping followed. She could tell by the sound of her Doctor's voice, though, that he was close to it. Well, that, and the falsetto. "Oh! Rose! You're _pregnant_! I hadn't noticed. Isn't that _odd_? How does that happen? Did you swallow a moon? At first I thought you might've just gotten old and different, but no! Congratulations Rose! Also you, Doctor, who I keep staring at and refusing to address because I just keep _forgetting to_."

The Doctor, who'd been reading something on the monitor, pursed his lips. "I do _not_ sound like that."

She grinned. "..._Yeah_, you do."

"Also, she's pregnant. Have you noticed?" He caught her grin and offered a brief smirk back, before turning his attention back to the Doctor. "We're expecting. That happens." He leaned in toward the Doctor a fraction. "You can stop staring now."

"I'm not-" The Doctor huffed and brushed past him. "I wasn't _staring_. I was...noticing."

Her Doctor rolled his eyes and she stepped in before he could continue. "So saving the universe: how much running is there gonna be this time?"

"None!" The Doctor made a face after a moment. "_Alright_, a _little bit_. Possibly. Depending on the locals. They weren't very happy the last time I saw them, and we'll need one of their scanners to pinpoint the rift. The voidstuff is confusing the TARDIS' scans."

"Alright. I can do that much." She smiled and shrugged. "Might've been a deal-breaker if you said 'a fair amount'."

"Because she's pregnant."

"So I was _rude_!" The Doctor turned on hers, clearly peeved despite the...mildler expression than she'd expect from hers. "I can be rude. I get it. I do that-_regularly_! Do you want something more from me, or can we save the world now?"

Her Doctor made a noncommittal noise. "Stop looking terrified of my future child and we might."

"Oh for-Rose Tyler, will you please do something about _your husband_? Is he your husband? ...Baby-daddy?" He made a face before she could respond. Incidentally, it was almost identical to the expression on her Doctor's face. "No, we'll call him husband. Your husband is being defensive while I'm trying to save the universe. Will you take him down to the engines so I can do my job and he can do his and the both of you can go back to..." He waved a hand. "Painting the _nursery_?"

She smothered the urge to laugh at her Doctor's affronted expression-honestly this was completely out of hand and the answer was _not_ to start laughing at it-and instead took his hand to forestall whatever he was going to retort with. "Have the hallways rearranged? Cos I can barely remember how to get there as it _was_."

Her Doctor sighed and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Of course it has, but I know my way. I'll go on my own. You stay here and make sure he doesn't wander off while we're not looking."

The Doctor made a face at hers, and hers did something with his hands that she didn't recognize...but could guess was rude, considering the frown it earned. Still, she arched up to kiss his cheek. "If y'want. Get back here soon."

"No promises." He grinned for a moment, like a child set loose in Disneyland, and almost skipped up a set of steps leading out of the enormous console room. Evidently no amount of annoyance could dampen his excitement at getting his hands on the TARDIS engines again. The thought of that excitement earned a faint smile for a few moments, before she wandered over to start flipping the switches and turning the dials the Doctor indicated.

For a little bit-she wasn't sure exactly the time, but it wasn't long-they were quiet, only exchanging important information about the readings and the console. It was a little bit like falling into the past during the quieter days they'd work on the TARDIS together, and she found it a bit comforting.

Eventually, though, the Doctor glanced up at the door her Doctor left through, and leaned in to speak to her in a low, confidential whisper. "You're _pregnant_."


End file.
